Maxance Vincent
IMAX has finally unveiled The Blue Angels to the world after a period of high anticipation in the announcement of its “blockbuster” documentaries, with this and the Adam McKay-produced Stormbound being the first of a series of films that would have as big of a treatment on their screens as the latest and greatest Hollywood mega productions. Of course, this makes sense since IMAX has been in the documentary game before getting into blockbusters, and they’ve always produced several original documentaries each year to show in their institutional networks and commercial cinemas, with the Michelle Williams-narrated Deep Sky being their latest.
But The Blue Angels is different, not only by its feature-length runtime of 94 minutes, as opposed to the usual science center runtime of 45 to 50 minutes, but it’s also co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios, J.J. Abrams‘s Bad Robot Productions, and Glen Powell of Top Gun: Maverick (the actor has also been confirmed to lead Abrams’ latest movie). These big names make the movie feel like a massive documentary event, and it may very well be, especially in how director Paul Crowder and cinematographers Jessica Young, Lance Benson, and Michael FitzMaurice capture the Blue Angels’ death-defying feats of derring-do with Sony CineAlta Venice 2 IMAX cameras, the same equipment that was used by Joseph Kosinski and Claudio Miranda in Top Gun: Maverick.
It felt like a revelation when Kosinski and Miranda captured Tom Cruise’s incredible aerial stuntwork for Maverick on IMAX since none of this was pulled off for the screen before. And as much as Cruise does most of his stunts for real, there’s always some form of trickery involved to enhance the on-screen action, as evidently showcased in the film’s electrifying climax. However, the Blue Angels do their incredible stuntwork for real, with zero digital trickery added in post-production.
When two fighter planes almost collide with each other to draw an X in the air, there’s an immediate sense of tension as we see them up close, almost crashing into each other should one of them make a false move. Using a frame-by-frame approach, they would review the footage and see exactly what could’ve happened should a false move have occurred. Everything about this is captured with incredible attention to detail that it quickly takes your breath away when Crowder puts you up close, inside the cockpit, or in the air, as the squadron performs these intricate aerial stunts for our entertainment.
But there’s also no room for error in filming these scenes since IMAX cameras have far more detail and sharpness than conventional film or digital cameras. When you see them up close on a 1.43:1 screen, every ounce is scrupulously examined at its most vertigo-inducing, and the technical portion of the documentary can’t be overstated. Whenever Crowder showed some of the Blue Angels’ most iconic stunts, I was on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, thinking they’d never be able to pull this off.
In the film, they do, but Crowder smartly reminds audiences how dangerous it truly is by discussing an event that led to the tragic passing of a soldier in 2016, days before an aerial show, and, in its best scene, showcases how deadly the experience of going up and down multiple G-forces can do to the body. Not only can someone experience tunnel vision, which seems to be the most common symptom, but the entire body is stressed, passing out while being conscious and convulsing as they attempt to regain their normal state – and breath. Crowder never shies away from the dangers of flying fighter planes at high altitudes and G-forces, but he never goes deep enough for us to care about the filmed subjects and the story he wants to tell.
As a technical showcase, it’s an absolute treat to witness on IMAX and far more immersive than waiting for next week’s Prime Video release. But everything around those striking flight sequences is painfully boring because we don’t spend enough time with the people that comprise the Blue Angels, whether the recruits who will pass the baton to the next batch or those who are currently onboarding to replace them. Crowder chronicles the arrival of Amanda Lee, the Blue Angels’ first-ever female pilot, which is quite a big deal. And yet, the only real piece of insight we get occurs during the end credits, where they haphazardly state that she had her first flight in 2023 instead of following her journey in an emotionally investing way.
The same is stated for every other subject the film tries to focus on, giving us only what’s on the surface instead of delving deep into the cost of being a soldier in the United States Navy – does it have a toll on their relationship with their family, for example? The film briefly touches upon this subject, stating that since the Navy takes care of their family, it’s all good, and each family member of its respective soldiers supports their military endeavors. Really? That’s it? No comment from the family members on what they think their husbands, wives, fathers, or mothers are doing? This could be a great opportunity to pull back the curtain and not only show how incredibly dangerous it is, but discuss the effects this has on the soldiers’ families. Alas, Crowder never examines the subject, and even when talking about the tragic loss of Captain Jeffrey M. Kuss, it’s quickly glossed over so we can go back to the fun aerial stuff.
It gets even more egregious when the movie quickly becomes a full-on commercial for the Blue Angels, showcasing their facilities and philanthropic efforts so they can give back to the community and be perceived as a positive force for America. But if this isn’t properly balanced with the documentary’s dramatic portion, it doesn’t feel like it’s objectively presenting the highs and lows of serving your country in such a way.
And while the flight scenes are certainly jaw-dropping to look at on an IMAX screen, there’s not much else the documentary offers past what could be considered a recruiting ad to join the Navy. Perhaps that’ll sway some people in doing so, but there could definitely have been a better approach for this film to not only connect audiences with the incredible feats they do on air but also explore the effects of risking your lives every day for the entertainment of the American people. Barring the horrifying centrifuge sequence, the insight we get from the soldiers is minimal, and the overall impact of the documentary feels lacking.
I would’ve hoped a longer runtime would’ve allowed IMAX to develop most of the ideas they present in their institutional documentaries, but when their Warner Bros.-produced Pandas 3D is far more interesting with a much shorter runtime (38 minutes!) than a feature-length advert on The Blue Angels, there’s something very wrong here. Here’s hoping Stormbound will be far better than this because their brand-new “blockbuster” documentary approach is not off to a great start.
SCORE: ★★
The Blue Angels is now playing in select IMAX cinemas and will be released globally on Prime Video on May 23.
If I may, I’d like to chime in with some additional context: if this documentary is truly just a feature-length recruitment ad for the U.S. Navy, then viewers who are inspired to talk to a recruiter as soon as the credits roll should be aware of their extremely long odds of actually joining the Blue Angels if they decide to sign up.
They are the most exclusive aerial aerobatic team in the United States and arguably the most elite aerial stunt exhibition wing in the world. There are a little over 10,000 active pilots and NFOs in the U.S. Navy. About 1,000 of those are either fully-qualified or training-to-be-fully-qualified strike fighter jet pilots. And only six of those pilots are Blue Angels. In other words, even if you are accepted into the United States Naval Academy or Officer Candidate School or an NROTC program, and even if you are selected for flight school after commissioning, and even if you are selected to fly jets after flight school, and even if you attain top scores on your FITREPs as a fighter jet pilot attaining your necessary flight hours, you are still a longshot to be selected for the Blue Angels. You are more likely to become a Navy SEAL despite Basic Underwater Demolition School having about an 80-90% attrition rate. Becoming a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Officer requires a one-on-one interview with an Admiral and even that is a less selective process than becoming a Blue Angel.
It would be like going to law school specifically to become a United States Supreme Court Justice. Like… hey, it’s great to dream big and all, and I wish you the best of luck in attaining that long-term goal, but please for the love of Christ don’t make that your sole motivator to put yourself through an arduous and highly selective career track. That is not even close to where the vast, vast, vast majority of lawyers end up and becoming a Blue Angel is a wildly atypical career path for U.S. Navy pilots.